Kiev leaves Crimea to die of thirst

Ukraine has shut down the water supply to Crimea, leaving a million people without water and with a bleak outlook for the summer and beyond.

The autonomous republic of Crimea (Krym) has left Ukraine after a state-wide referendum on 16 March demonstrated the support of the majority (97%) of citizens of Crimea to the idea. The republic’s democratic government enjoyed an overwhelming level of support from the people living in Crimea ever since.

The ultra-right government of Ukraine that seized the power in a coup d’etat earlier this year did not appreciate the loss of control over Crimea and decided to punish the people of the peninsula for their democratic choice. The border has remained closed ever since and the supplies were cut off.

Crimea received 80% of its water supply from the North Krym canal that is now closed by Kiev. The water shortage will slowly increase as the water levels in reservoirs subside. Already, the government says that most crops this year may be written off because there is no water left for agriculture. That means if Crimea people do not die of thirst this summer they are looking at a shortage of food and starvation in the winter.

This is a new level of sadism. Torturing a whole country by closing their supply of water could only be seen as criminal.